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The New York Jets do not have the richest of histories among NFL teams. New York is currently in a 14-year playoff drought, the longest active drought in North American sports. With only one championship, there is an obvious top spot in the rankings. But who else, besides Joe Namath and the Super Bowl III champions, makes the top ten Jets teams of all time?
#10: 1985: A great regular season ends in heartbreak
The 1985 New York Jets won the most regular-season games of their five Wild Card losses. They went 11-5 on the shoulders of 25-year-old Ken O'Brien's best season. He threw for 3,888 yards, a career high, and 25 touchdowns, tied for his career high, in the regular season. Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons led the defense, considered one of the best in the league. They finished second in the AFC East, one game behind the Miami Dolphins.
The Jets hosted the New England Patriots on December 28, 1985, and were three-point favorites, according to Pro Football Reference. Despite beating the Pats at home in November, they could not keep up with their rivals. O'Brien was knocked out of the game with a concussion, thrusting Pat Ryan into the game. That did not work out, and the Patriots won 26-10.
#9: 2002: The most recent Jets division winner
From here on in the Jets' greatest team rankings, every team has at least made the Divisional Round of the postseason. At number nine is a team that won nine games and the AFC East. Chad Pennington and the 2002 Jets lost four consecutive games before their Week 6 bye. After that, they won eight of their final 11 games to win the AFC East. Pennington started 12 games, throwing for over 3,000 yards. And Curtis Martin was sensational, with 1.094 yards and seven touchdowns.
The division win did not get the Jets the bye. So, they hosted Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. New York won 41-0 in their most recent home playoff game, as of the end of the 2024 season. The Jets went on to Oakland, where the Raiders won 30-10 on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.
#8: 1969: A playoff dud follows up Super Bowl II
The Jets came into the 1969 season as the defending Super Bowl champions. They had a sensational regular season, winning 10 of the 14 regular-season games to make the postseason again. Joe Namath had 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions with only 2,700 yards, which is poor for his career. But the Jets came into the playoffs having won nine of their final 11 and earned a home playoff game.
The Jets welcomed the Kansas City Chiefs to Shea Stadium for the Divisional Round. They lost 13-6 in what looks like one of the worst football games ever played. The Jets were losing 6-3 in the fourth quarter when they settled for a seven-yard field goal. Namath went 14-40 with 169 yards and three picks. A yucky game ended New York's repeat bid and marked their last playoff game for a dozen years.
#7: 1986: A playoff collapse ends a great Jets season
The Jets followed up the 1985 season with a great '86, winning 10 regular-season games and finishing second in the AFC East. Wide receiver Al Toon was an All-Pro, posting 1,176 yards on 85 catches with eight touchdowns. He and running back Freeman McNeil led the offense amid a great O'Brien season, where he finished fifth in Offensive Player of the Year voting. Despite losing five straight games to end the regular season, the Jets were back in the postseason.
Come playoff time, O'Brien was hurt again, and Pat Ryan was under center for a Wild Card matchup against the Chiefs. But McNeil and Toon were so good, it didn't even matter. McNeil scored twice, Toon added another, and Kevin MacArthur snagged a pick-six to seal it. The Jets went on to face the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional Round, where they took a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter. But Cleveland came back to tie it and win the game in overtime, ending their Super Bowl aspirations.
#6: 2004: The Doug Brien Game
The Jets were 6-10 and missed the playoffs in 2003. But Herm Edwards and Chad Pennington brought New York back to the postseason in 2004 with a 10-6 season and a Wild Card berth. Curtis Martin led the league with 1,647 yards, was an All-Pro, and finished fourth in Offensive Player of the Year voting. They went into the postseason on a two-game losing streak, but put that aside quickly.
The Jets went to San Diego to face Drew Brees and the Chargers. They allowed a game-tying touchdown to Antonio Gates with 11 seconds left, but kicker Doug Brien hit the game-winner to send the Jets to the next round. They faced the 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers in the Steel City and had two chances to win. Brien missed a 47-yard field goal with 2:02 left. He missed, but Dave Barrett picked off the next Ben Roethlisberger pass. Brien missed a buzzer-beater from 43, forcing overtime. Pittsburgh won in overtime in one of the most crushing losses in franchise history.
#5: 2009: Rex Ryan, an elite defense, and a great playoff run
When the 2009 season started, expectations around the Jets were low. According to Pro Football Reference, their preseason over/under was seven wins, and they were +4000 to win the Super Bowl. But new coach Rex Ryan brought a new energy to the team that led them to a nine-win season. Darrelle Revis was elite, earning a first-team All-Pro nod and second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Come playoff time, there was an energy around the young and spunky Jets, making their first playoff appearance since 2006. They went to Cincinnati and won 24-14 in the Wild Card round, scoring 21 unanswered points in the middle of the game. The great Jets defense showed up for the Divisional Round against the Chargers, allowing the offense to heat up in the second half.
They won 17-14, setting up their first AFC Championship Game appearance in 11 years. Manning and the Colts got revenge for the loss seven years earlier, smoking the Jets 30-17. From out of nowhere to all of the expectations, the Jets were the talk of the NFL.
#4: 2010: Hard Knocks and one of the great wins in Jets history
The 2010 Jets started on HBO. And not because they were a mafia family or a cable news network looking for a new boss. But because they were the most interesting team in sports and starred on Hard Knocks. Antonio Cromartie, Rex Ryan, Revis and his contract, and many other storylines led to an 11-win regular season. Revis was an All-Pro again, LaDanian Tomlinson came in to replace Thomas Jones, and Brad Smith changed the kick return game for the better.
In the postseason, it was back to Indianapolis to face the Colts. A tight, defensive battle broke out, which played more into the Jets' hands than the Colts. Sanchez led a game-winning drive that ended with a Nick Folk field goal and a 17-16 win. Then, the Jets went to Foxboro to take on the 14-2 Patriots. Shonn Greene's fourth-quarter touchdown sealed one of the great wins in franchise history and sent them back to the AFC Championship Game.
The Jets continued their road trip in the title game against the Steelers. Pittsburgh took a 24-0 lead in the second quarter, hanging on to win 24-19. While it was a great second-half comeback, Sanchez never possessed the ball with a chance to tie the game. If he had, maybe the Jets would have finally returned to the Super Bowl. As of the end of the 2024 season, this is the most recent Jets playoff game.
#3: 1982: A shortened season benefits the Jets
The 1982 NFL season was shortened due to a players' strike. Before the stoppage, the Jets were 1-1. Nine weeks later, they came out firing, winning four straight games and five of their last seven to make the postseason. They traveled to Cincinnati and faced the defending AFC champion Bengals. After falling down 14-3 in the first quarter, New York scored 41 of the next 44 points to roll over Ken Anderson's Bengals.
In the Divisional Round, the Jets were up 10-0 at halftime before they blew the lead in the third quarter. Malcolm Barnwell's 57-yard touchdown catch gave Los Angeles the lead in the third quarter. But Scott Diekering pounded one in from one yard out to give the Jets the lead and the win. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jets totaled 139 yards in Miami, losing 14-0. The Mud Bowl was a sloppy game that New York never had a chance to win once Miami got in the end zone.
#2: 1998: The closest call
The 1998 New York Jets were 27 minutes away from being the greatest team in franchise history. Bill Parcells led a 12-4 team to an AFC East win behind a fantastic offense. Vinny Testaverde threw for 3,200 yards in 13 games while Martin, Keyshawn Johnson, and Wayne Chrebet all had 1,000-yard seasons.
After a bye got them through the Wild Card round, the Jets hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. They smoked Tom Coughlin's Jags 34-24, leading to another AFC Championship Game appearance. After the first drive of the second half of the AFC title game, the Jets were winning 10-0. If they held on for 27 minutes, they would have gone to the Super Bowl. The Broncos scored 23 unanswered points, beating the Jets and taking down the Falcons in the Super Bowl.
#1: 1968: Super Bowl III
The Jets and Joe Namath went 11-3 in the regular season in 1968, earning the top spot in the AFL East. They hosted the Raiders at Shea Stadium, which they won 27-23. Don Maynard caught the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, sending the Jets to the first and only Super Bowl in franchise history.
The Jets were significant underdogs in Super Bowl III, with the Baltimore Colts closing at 18-point favorites. Joe Namath guaranteed victory and delivered in a 16-7 win. The victory is by far the greatest in franchise history and represents their only title.
